Climate change blamed for the changing foraging habits of the flesh-footed shearwater

Researchers have found climate change is forcing some birds to travel further and change their diets.

A paper published in the journal Global Change Biology shows the diet of the flesh-footed shearwater has changed dramatically over the past 75 years.

The University of Tasmania's Dr Jennifer Lavers says it shows the birds are changing their behaviour as a result of the changing climate.

"What that tells us basically is that basically there's been a very significant change in the ocean that's caused the birds for some reason to completely alter their diet and in this case, one of the largest explanatory variables was the El Nino southern oscillation," she said.

The study also found their position in the food chain has dropped considerably in that period as they were forced to forage further afield.

Dr Lavers says that could have implications for other species.

"Any behavioural changes, any dietary changes that are happening in the shearwaters, we would expect that to some degree they are manifesting themselves in all of the rungs in that ladder, in all of the links in the food chain below them."